Page 96 of Cruel Ice

Parker inclined his head. “You…aren’t what I thought.”

Marley tugged on her wrist. Reluctantly, Declan let her go. She stood by the side of the bed. By Declan’s side. “People are seldom just one thing in this world.” Something she’d learned long ago.

“That’s right,” Royal affirmed with a solemn nod. “One person’s hero is another’s villain…and another person’s villain…”

Might just be the love of my life,Marley thought. “Is someone’s hero.”

Parker gripped the arms of the wheelchair. “I doubt that anyone thinks James was a hero.”

“Bet his son did.” A retort from Hunter. For a moment, sadness slid across his face and whispered in his voice. “I…liked Cade.” His shoulders straightened. “He got past my guard, boss. It won’t happen again.”

Declan shook his head. “He got past mine, too. And so did James.” It wasn’t sadness whispering in his words. Anger rumbled in his voice. “That sonofabitch killed my mother. And then he walked back into my life and pretended to care about me—like a freaking father—for years.”

Royal and Hunter exchanged a long glance.

“I think this might be a private conversation.” Hunter whirled Parker toward the door. “Let’s get you back in your hospital bed. Don’t tell the nurse you went for a ride, will you? I don’t think you were supposed to move at all. Some shit about you being critical.”

The door closed behind them a moment later.

Marley reached for Declan’s hand. She needed to touch him, especially when he faced his past.

“The Ice Breakers have been digging non-stop since you got rolled into the hospital. Apparently, James was our father’s hitman of choice back in the day.” Royal shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “They’re connecting kills to him, left and right.”

Declan nodded.

“Our mom—I don’t know what happened yet. I have some guesses. But that’s all they are. We may never know the truth.” Royal exhaled. “I think our mom ran with me. I think Conor Flynn sent his best guy after her. I think?—”

“James put a gun to her heart and demanded that she tell him where you were. She refused. And James became enraged and shot her.” Declan squeezed Marley’s fingers. “He staged the car explosion to cover his tracks. But then he became terrified that Conor would realize what he’d done. See, our dad loved our mom. He was evil and twisted, but she was his obsession. I don’t think he wanted her dead. James crossed the line, and he realized that Conor would kill him if he ever found out the truth.So he ran. And he hid. And he stayed hidden until I took care ofhismonster for him.”

Silence.

All Marley wanted to do was comfort Declan. To pull him close. To tell him that she would always be with him so?—

So she did. She crawled right back into the bed with him. She threw her arms around him and held tight. “I will always be with you,” she promised. “You’re not going to have to fight alone. You won’t face monsters alone. You are going to be happy with me, Declan. We’re going to have a crazy, wild, fantastic life.” Then she kissed him. A little too hard. A little off-center. A little too desperate.

His fingers pressed to her cheek. “My Marley.” A rasp. “My world.”

“Ahem.” From Royal. “That’s one version of events. One that pretty much works in my mind, but I’ll still have the Ice Breakers keep investigating. They are top-notch. Especially since we have your hotshot PI on the team. Who knows what else she’ll uncover? She’s already making waves, I can tell you that. The woman who saved Declan Flynn—she’s building quite the reputation for herself.”

Marley pulled back so she could stare into Declan’s eyes. “I didn’t save Declan. He was the one who took a bullet for me.”

But Declan shook his head. “Yes, sweetheart, you did save me. In ways that you will probably never fully know, you saved me.”

She had to blink away the tears that wanted to fill her eyes.

“I love you, Marley.” His gaze searched hers. “Will you marry me?”

Her breath caught.

“I’ll get the ring soon, I promise, and Iaskedthis time. Dammit, it’s not romantic. Wrong place. I can do better, I swear I can. I?—”

“Yes.” Marley kissed him. “Yes!”

“Good,” Royal groused from the foot of the bed. “Because I’m pretty sure that for the last sixteen hours, the woman has told everyone she met that she’s already your fiancée.”

Yes, she had. A woman had to do what a woman had to do…in order to protect her man. “I love you,” she told Declan.

“I love you,” he said. No hesitation. Instant. Real.“I love you.”

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